Thousands of Florida Students Arrested Annually for Actions that Used to Merit a Trip to the Principal’s Office

Florida continues to arrest thousands of students each year for minor violations not deemed criminal acts.

Of the 12,000 students taken from school to jail by police in 2012, 67% were accused of misdemeanors, such as disorderly conduct. Oftentimes, disorderly conduct amounts to little more than a student disobeying a teacher’s order to put away a cell phone or stop talking in class.

“The vast majority of children being arrested in schools are not committing criminal acts,” Walters added. He pointed out that these arrests pull students out of school and inject them into the criminal justice system, which usually results in making their behavior worse and prevents them from getting counseling.

It was also found that African-American and disabled students were arrested disproportionately in number.

Walters said his agency is committed to reducing the number of students arrested this year by 10%. The total number of arrests has been going down since the state first implemented its “zero tolerance” policy. In 2005, for example, 28,000 students were sent to jail.

“We criminalize them for being kids,” observed Southern Poverty Law Center attorney Stephanie Langer. The students’ arrest records will remain with them for life, even if the charges are dropped.